Romans 12:1-3

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you’ll be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing, and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” 

In the Old Testament, they sacrificed animals. The priest would kill and cut up the animal and burn it on an altar. A sacrifice was important, but even then God told them that the attitude of the heart, and obedience to God was more important than sacrifice. We are to offer ourselves daily as living sacrifices, totally surrendered to God’s will, and living in obedience to his word.

We are not to look like the world. We are not to conform to its evil ways. We are not to call what is evil good, but we are to hate those things that God hates. When people see us there should be a difference that they notice immediately. We should bear the image of Christ in all that we do and say. We must lay aside our fleshly selves daily. 

God has good, pleasing, and perfect, and wonderful plans for his children. 

He wants us to have renewed minds, and renewed hearts so that we can follow where he leads. We need renewed minds to hear him when he speaks. His word as our compass. 

Jesus‘ ultimate sacrifice, made a way for us to be made new; when we repent and turn from our sins, ask him into our hearts, and allow him to be Lord of our lives. It is not found in religion or man-made rules. It is not found in denominations. 

We find our identity in Christ, He alone, tells us who we are. It is good to have healthy self-esteem, and not good to think less than ourselves than what we are, what we need to do is to look to the word to find out who we are. To be able to honestly evaluate ourselves, we need to know the basis of our self-worth. Our true identity as believers is in Christ. Apart from him, we cannot do eternal work, it is by coming to him, and the changes he makes in our hearts and our minds that enable us to do the kingdom work of God. We instantly are made sons and daughters of the Most High God!

So, if you are looking at yourself from a worldly standard, what you’ve accomplished, those things that you’ve done in your flesh and you think that you have reached this awesome pinnacle, I dare say that it means nothing if you do not know the Lord. Nothing on earth other than being born-again will get you into heaven. You may be wealthy by the world standards, and sorely lacking by God’s. 

I pray that if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior; this new year will be the year that you bow your knee, repent of your sins, and turn to him; and in doing so you will truly find who you are, a beloved child of God, bound for heaven, made new, Holy, Righteous and Accepted, in Christ Jesus! Able to do those things He calls you to do. 

You will spend eternity somewhere, either heaven or hell. Think about it! 

Blessings my friends!